Couple catches burglar in the act

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A Grass Valley couple made an unpleasant discovery when they got home Tuesday morning and found a burglar hiding in the guest bedroom of their Glenwood Road home.

The husband and wife, who are in their mid-60s, told Grass Valley Police they returned to their residence in the 300 block at about 10:30 a.m. and noticed the doggie door was damaged, said Sgt. Steve Johnson.

They started searching the residence with the husband taking the downstairs and the wife going upstairs.

“She went in the bedroom and saw items scattered around,” Johnson said.

The woman started looking around and realized there was a man hiding behind a sheet of drywall that was propped against the wall, Johnson said.

She screamed, and her husband grabbed the first weapon he saw, a pair of garden shears in the kitchen, then ran upstairs to confront the burglar.

“There was a short standoff,” Johnson said.

“The man raised his hands and said, ‘I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to leave.’”

The couple reportedly backed out of the room so that the man was able to get by them and leave the house.

Grass Valley Police officers “flooded” the area, Johnson said, checking the trails in the wooded area between Sierra College and Manor Drive.

An officer located the suspect next to the NID ditch but lost him as he fled because he was on the other side of the canal, Johnson said. He was able to radio his direction of travel to other officers, and the suspect was subsequently arrested on Manor Drive.

“It doesn’t appear he had the opportunity to steal anything,” Johnson said.

The man, identified as Joseph Adam Naake, 33, of Nevada City, was booked into county jail on suspicion of first-degree burglary of an inhabited dwelling. He was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.

“Thankfully, no one was hurt,” Johnson said.

“We caution people that if you suspect there has been a break-in at your home, call 911 and let the police clear the structure.”